There was finally a break in the rain, which had seemed to be never ending recently. Everyone has decided to take advantage of the bright, warm sun – Avery’s mum suggesting a trip out to town, a walk, which everyone took her up on, save Avery. Avery stayed behind, wanting nothing more than to nap. And out in the sun.
He went out to the gardens, to the brightest corner, stripping off his shirt before lying down on his stomach in the grass. Normal enough, really. Except after a moment he stretched and shifted, and stretched… and stretched… the air shimmered slightly over his back and almost out of nowhere there were two wings, nearly the entire length of the boy, white and shimmering in the sunlight. He spread them as if they were arms, slightly out to his sides, shivering a little as the sun fell across them warmly.
As if this was the most normal thing in the world, all Avery did was sigh quietly, pillow his head on his arms, and fall asleep.
He had thought he was alone, but he wasn’t.
Jake had changed his mind last minute, really rather wanting a swim then a walk. He saw Avery from a distance lay out in the grass and then oddly half cover his back in a pure white blanket before stilling. Jake frowned, forgetting about a swim, and walked towards Avery.
As he got closer, what he saw wasn’t a blanket. But wings. Avery had wings? How did Avery have wings? Wings?
A bit freaked out, but more curious than anything, Jake quietly walked up to the smaller boy, obviously sunning himself and already asleep. He was careful not to wake him, afraid of what Avery would do if he knew Jake was seeing what had obviously been a secret, and he kneeled down slowly next him, just looking.
He looked for a while, watching colours play off the soft looking white feathers as Avery’s back rose and fell gently with his breathing. He had to touch them, drawn to them almost; wanting to feel them to make sure they were real. They looked real. But how could they be? Hesitantly he reached out and touched his fingertips to one, warm from the sun and yes, soft, silky and layered. He stroked it slowly, the feathers shivering as if each could feel his light touch, and then Avery stirred with a murmur and Jake had to stop himself from jumping back. He froze.
Avery turned his head and looked at him, eyes opening slowly and he smiled – but his eyes widened and the smile sort of slid away when he realised what Jake had been doing. They stared at each other for moment, as if seeing each other for the first time, and neither boy moved.
Jake’s eyes did finally, right back to the wings. Sensing his gaze, Avery tucked them against his back shyly, his eyes still so so wide and fixed on Jake, though they didn’t disappear.
“Avery,” he whispered, looking back at him, almost a question but more a remark. He was clearly in awe of whatever… this… was. He didn’t understand it all, but somewhere in his subconscious something was clicking and he slowly reached out again without hesitating to touch the boy’s wings again.
After a moment, Avery stretched one out slightly to him, meeting his fingers halfway.